Car-door construction



W E WINE GAR DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed March 5, 1,923

May 7, 1929.

AT ORNEYS.

Patented May 7, A19?..9.

uruTl-:D STATES WILLIAM E. WINE, F TOLEDO, OHIO.

CAR-DOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed March 5, 1923. Serial No. 622,852.

This invention relates to door spreader construction for railway cars and has for its principal object to provide an improved form of spreader, whereby a pair of doors may be held in a definite spaced relationship and caused to operate as a single door.

Another object is to provide an improved door-stiffening member in the form of a flanged beam.

A still further object is to provide a doorsupporting member having a projecting end arranged at an angle best suited forcooperation with other portions of the door-supporting mechanism.

A still further object is to provide a preferred form of door spreader, particularly adapted for use with doors having marginal fianges outstanding from the face of the door.

With such objects and others in view, the invention consists of theconstruct-ion, combination and arrangement of parts as will be herein described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred form of the invention Figure 1 is a plan View of the door spreader constructed in accordance with my invention, the spreader being shown as attached to a pair of fianged hopper doors.

Figure 2 is a. fragmentary end elevational view of the doors and the door spreader. l

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one end of the door spreader, showi ing .in dotted lines a door-supporting member coopera-ting therewith.

Figures, 4, 5 and 6 are ltransverse vertical sectional views of the door spreader, these views being taken on the llines 4 4, 5-5 and (3 6, respectively, of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the door spreader, indicated by the numeral 1, is preferably formed from a steel Vplate which is forged, pressed or shaped to provide certain edges thereof with marginal fianges. The spreader is particularly adapted for use with a pair l of hinged doors, such as 2 and 3, which are preferably secured to the spreader by means of rivets 4. The doors may conveniently be provided with` outstanding fianges, suchas 5, along their'edges and it is desirable that the door spreader should extend continuously and uninterruptedly over the flanges. .The door contacting edge of the spreader is provided with a continuous marginal flange 6, a portion 7 thereof being arrangedin the plane of.

the outer faces of the doors and adapted to contact the said faces. The intermediate portion of the spreader is preferably offset from the plane of the door faces to provide a space for the innermost flanges 5 of the said doors but the marginal door contacting flange of the spreader preferably extends continuously and unin'terruptedly around this offset port-ion, as at 8. Prior to being formed with marginal flanges the Amaximum width of the plate from which the spreader 1 is fashioned, is intermediate the ends of the spreader, as clearly shown by the dotted lines'9 in Figure 1.. The ffange 8 is of greater width therefore than the adjacent flanges 7 and this increase in width of the flange 8 compensates to a de gree forthe reduced depth of the spreader at this reduction in depth or intermediate portion. To further compensate for this offset the opposite edge of the spreader is arched or formed in a cambered line. As the lower dotted line 9 in Figure 1 indicates the preferable contour of the plate prior to the formation of the lower flanges 10 and 11 it will be apparent that a greater amountof material is available for forming 'the intermediate portions of the flange 10 than is available for forming the outer portions 11 of the said flange so that, as indicated in Figure 6, the

centralportion of the fiange 10 is of consider'- ably greater width or height than the portions 11 thereof toward the end of the spreader.

In fact, in the preferable construction of the Spreader, as herein shown, the marginal flanges 11 are reduced in height so as to merge into the web of the said spreader adjacent the ends, as shown at 12. j l

vSuch spreaders are frequently usedv with cars of the twin' hopper type, such as illustrated in my Patent. No. 1,486,210, issued March 11, 1924. A`When` door-supporting members, such as the well known form of pivoted hook disclosed in'said patent and herein indicated at 13, are vdisposed at anA angle to agree with ,the acute planes of the respectively adjacent hopper sidesheets, their surfaces of engagementwith the portions of the door spreader which lconstitute door-supporting arms are at an acute angle with the plane of the door and at an acute angle with the general direction of the door spreader. In order that ay proper contact may be had between the hook 13 and the end of the spreader, I arrange the portions 14 of the flange 6 of the v portions of the door spreader also tends to ,prevent the hook creeping outward toward the ends of the spreader'. As an additional safe-guard against the hooks creeping olf the ends of the spreader, an end flange l5 may be provided atfeac'h 'end of the spreader to serve as a positive hook stop.

I have thus provided an improved form of door spreader which may be formed in an economical manner and be applied to doors of the type .described without cutting away any portion of the do'or flanges. In prior constructions it has been necessary either to ciit the door flanges to allow for the extension of the spreader oi to substitute for va spreader' having integral hook-engaging portions a built-up structure having separable hook-engaging members. Beth of these constructions are avoided by the utilization of the spreader which is the subject of this invention. Considerable difficulty has hereto been experienced in obtaining a proper contact between the door' hooks and the hook seats on the door, and this difficulty is also overcome vin the present construction.

I have thus described a preferred embodiment of my invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is elaimed'is: n

1. A car door mechanism including in combination with a door hingedto the car body, a door-supporting member pivoted to the car body adjacent an edge of the door the plane of'operation of the door supporting member being inclined to lthe vertical and an arm extending outwardl from the door and having a portion thereof formed as a seat adapted for engagement by the said door-supporting 'inember said seat lying in a plane at an acute angle with the plane of the door and substantially normal to the plane of movement of thel door-supporting member.

. 2. A car door 'mechanismincluding in coinbination with a door hinged to the car body, a door-supporting member pivoted to the car body adjacentan edge of the door vto swing in a direction longitudinally of the car, and an arm extending outwardly from the door and having a portion thereof formed as a seat adapted f or engagement by the said door-supporting member, said seat lying in a plane at an acute angle with the horizontal axis of the door arm and with'the car side but substantially at right angles to the plane of door-supporting member pivoted to the car bodyl to swing in a direction longitudinally of the car, and an arm extending outwardly from the door and having a portion thereof formed as a seat adapted for engagement by the said door-supporting member, the said door-supporting member being arranged to lie when in engagement with the said arm in a plane at an acute angle with the plane of the door, and the seat portion of said arm being arranged normal to the plane of movement ofthe door-supporting member.

fl. A stiffener for the doors of railway cars involving a .flanged member adapted to be secured to the outer face of the door and having an end portion extending beyond an edge of the door, the said end portion having a face extending outwardly and downwardly away from the door forming an acute angle with the flanged member of the stiffener, said face constituting a seat to engage a door supporting member mounted on the car.

5. A stiffener for the doors of railway cars embodying a flanged member adapted to be secured to the outer face of the door and having an end'portion adapted to extend beyond an edge ofthe door to forni a door supporting means, the said end portion being provided with a flange lying in a plane at an acute angle with the horizontal axis of the main portion of said flanged member andv adapted to form a seat for a door-supporting member.

6. In car door construction, a pair of doors hinged side by side to the car body and spaced somewhat from each other, and a door spreader secured to both doors adjacent the free edges of the sa-me and arranged to hold the doors in spaced relation, said doors being provided with outstanding marginal flanges along their adjacent edges, and the spreader being provided with a continuous marginal flange arranged to lie against the outer faces of the doei' and being offset slightly away from the plane of said oiiter faces to clear the marginal flanges of the doors7 the margin al flange the spreader being of increased width along the offset portion thereof.

7. A door spreader embodying a flanged beam of plate-like cross-section, said beam having alined door-contacting flanges along one of its edges and being provided on its opposite edge with a flange progressively increasing in depth from point-s respectively adjacent the outer edges of the doers to a point intermediate the said doors.

8. A door spreader embodying a flanged beam formed from a single sheet of metal, said beam having alined door-contacting flanges along one of its edges witlian offset therebetween, and being provided with portions progressively increasing in depth toward the center of the door spreader and tierminating short ofthe offset.

9. A door spreader embodying a flanged beamV of plate-like cross-section, said beam having integral Y alined door-contacting flanges along one of its edges with a flanged Offset therebetween, and having a flanged cambered back, the fiange of the offset being of increased height.

10. In ear door construction, a pair of doors hinged side by side to the car body and spaced somewhat from each other, and a door spreader secured toboth doors adjacent their free edges for holding said doors in spaced relation, said doors being `provided with outstanding marginal fianges along` their edges adjacent the sides ofthe car, and said spreader being flanged along one of its edges to constitute faces for contacting said doors and seats adapted for engagement by door-sup porting means carried by the car body, said seats projecting laterally outward beyond said marginal flanges and being spaced from the plane of the said door-contacting faces.

11. In car door construction, a pair of doors hinged side by side to the car body and spaced somewhat from each other, and a door spreader secured to both doors adjacent their free edges for holding said doors in spaced relation, said doors being provided with outstanding marginal flanges along their edges adjacent the sides of the car, and said spreader .being continuously flanged along one of its edges to constitute .door-contacting portions and a. plurality of seats adapted for engagement by door-supporting means carried by the car body, said seats being at the ends of said spreader and extending laterally outwardbeyond said marginal flanges and being spaced from the plane of the said door-contacting portions.

12. A door spreader formed of a sheet of metal and provided with flanges extending lengthwise of said spreader along the opposite edges thereof, the flange along one edge being offset at the ends of the spreader to forni seats adapted for engagement with door-.supporting means, and the flange along the other edge terminating inwardly of the ends of the spreader.

13. In car door construction, a door hinged `to the car body, a flanged member cariied by ing a seat adapted for engagement with doorsupporting means carried by the car body, `and the flange along the opposite edge terminating inwardly of theouter end of said seat. f

14. In car door construction, a door hinged said edges being continuous with said end flange and having an offset portion inwardly of said end flange forming a seat adapted for engagement with door-supporting means carried by the car body.

15. In car door construction, a door hinged to the car body, a flanged member carried by said door and project-ing laterally outward beyond an edge of the latter, said member being flanged at its outer end and along opposite edges, the flange along one of said edges being continuous with said end flange and having an oflset portion forming a seat adapted `,for engagement with doorsupport ing means carried by the car body, and the flange along the opposite edge terminating at its outer end in spaced relation to said end flange.

16. A door spreader vformed of a sheet of metal and provided with flanges extending lengthwise of said spreader along the opposite edges thereof,.one of said flanges affording door-contacting portions, and both of said flanges being of greatest width at a point intermediate the ends of the spreader.

17. A doory spreader having portions in-` lengthwise of said spreader on one edge thereof, the flange increasing in Width as the firstnamed .portion increases in depth.

18. A door spreader of substantially channel shape formed from a substantially triangular sheet of metal and provided with a flange along one of its edges to constitute door-contacting portions.

19. A door spreader having a body portionand provided along one of its edges with doorcontacting portions, and having along its opposite edge inclined portions and a horizontal portion intervening therebetween, the

'horizontal portion lying within the angle formed by the intersection of planes normal to the body portion of the spreader and passing through the said inclined portions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM E.l WINE. 

